Keeping Tradition Alive

In Navajo culture, winter brings many things—the cold, a new year, yas (snow) and certain winter stories are told. It is probably my most favorite time of the year because now coyote stories can be told, string games can be played, and the Navajo Shoe game is also played. (I will discuss the string game next week.) Besides all the fun stuff, one of my earliest memories was bathing in the snow. 

For as long as I can remember my parents would wake us (my siblings and I) up super early after the first snowfall. It is part of tradition to wash up and bless yourself with the arrival of the first snow. Bushy and straight out of bed, we’d make our way to the backdoor and strip to just our trunks and sports bra or just trunks for the boys—we line up. The snow drifted in such a unique way that a mound would form by the back door. From there we’d jump in and quickly wash ourselves from head to toe and come running back in to my mom holding a towel for each of us. My older, super naughty cousin always cried and threw a fit, for such a tough mean kid, I loved seeing this. A couple years my dad had to toss him in the snow for his own good. Shivering and now fully awake, we’d wipe off the excess snow and proceed to get ready. The meaning differs by region on the reservation, but the we all do it because it is part of our tradition. A way to strengthen ourselves—mind, body, spirit, to thicken our skin for trials, and as my dad would say in Navajo as we ‘bathed’, “Shake that laziness off!” It’s all part of tradition and we still do it today. Bathing in the snow also means to honor the power of mother earth, respect and show appreciation for the blessings the new year and season brings, and to prepare for challenges that may lie ahead. Overall, it’s to show our appreciation of life because of what the snow is—water, and water is life. 

Below I have linked a very active person on social media that tells Navajo stories and does the snow bath with her daughters.